Elder Scrolls Online confirmed for 2013

Massively multiplayer take on open-world RPG series to be set 1,000 years before Skyrim in a Tamriel endangered by daedric prince Molag Bal.

Skyrim fans yearning to explore the game's fantasy world with other people will get the chance next year, as Bethesda Softworks today announced The Elder Scrolls Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game take on the long-running series, set for release in 2013.

The Elder Scrolls is finally going online.

Bethesda didn't reveal any gameplay details, but a Game Informer tease for the magazine's cover story on Elder Scrolls Online revealed that the game will cover the entire continent of Tamriel, including the lands featured in previous Elder Scrolls games like Cyrodiil, Skyrim, and Morrowind. The game will be set 1,000 years before the events of last year's hit Skyrim and will put players into the world on the brink of demonic assimilation at the hands of the daedric prince Molag Bal.

Elder Scrolls Online will also feature three player factions, though they were not detailed. However, a rumor that made the rounds in March and correctly predicted the game's announcement suggested that they will be represented by animals: a lion, a dragon, and an unspecified bird of prey.

The Elder Scrolls Online will be the debut game from Zenimax Online Studios, which was established five years ago with Mythic Entertainment cofounder Matt Firor (Dark Age of Camelot) heading up the operation. Firor is also serving as game director on the project.

I'm very optimistic about this game. The mmos that have been comin out lately seemed to all just be missing something. But one of the cofounders of daoc is directing this. A game I believe had huge influence on more modern mmos like wow. This will def be a step up. *Ranger all day*

YA!. Iv always wanted this to happen. Days, months, and years iv asked the the Nine Divines for a Elder Scroll game to become ether (coop)-(MMO). Truthfully im excited iv always wanted the elder scrolls to become more open to the world where every one can interact together like in a MMO or coop. I think this would be cool if they decide to follow through with this idea.

if they would have made this a sandbox with the skyrim type action combat system (but better) then i would have considered it. this seems like its just gonna be another theme park, hit hot buttons, watch the screen, and lust after top tier armor like all the other mmo's. i dont know why they think people want that.

I have a feeling there were no plans for a TES MMO, and when Skyrim hit big, Zenimax made an executive decision to attempt to tap into the MMO market to try and tap some of the WoW "glory" (if you want to call it that). Maybe Bethesda really had no intentions for this, but was overruled by Zenimax . It's a business, but this is one steep risk.

HORRIBLE idea.. That was always the allure to the Elder Scrolls.. the non-beat your head against the wall repetive combat. The detailed quests with good story lines. Sick of multiplayer. I like a good single player journey i.e. SKYRIM. eh..

They're fighting an uphill battle. MMOs are expensive to create and maintain, and I don't think there are enough people who want an MMO and aren't already playing WOW or SWTOR. In fact, when SWTOR came out, many users they attracted were not new MMO customers, but WOW defectors.

I think that whether its good or not who cares? If its good then we all get to enjoy an MMO in a setting we all know and love. If it isn't good then don't play it. It's that simple. I think if someone wants to try making it let them. Who knows what could come out of this.

The only thing that makes this interesting IMO is that they'll have to put in serious time into the story of the world and things of that sort. It's an interesting world they've got, and it may be fun to run around the world with a buddy or two... I just really don't see 10/20person groups in that environment. We're all used to mostly taking things on solo in the Elder Scrolls games, I just can't imagine how the game-play we already love will have to be changed in order to accommodate a crowd. It's a shame really, now that Bethesda has released the (probably) most successful Elder Scrolls game, they'll take a chance like this.

If it works, I'm willing to pay WoW-style for this, but I'm just really really doubting that they'll be able to produce an MMO worthy of carrying the Elder Scrolls name.

An Elder Scrolls MMO...... feels like its missing something. The point, maybe?

As much as I like the idea of Elder Scrolls having a multiplayer component.... that's really it, I want a singleplayer game that lets a player and a friend lobby up and play a singleplayer game together. Y'know, like it was a mod, or something.

Will NOT be wasting anymore of my precious life hours on anything elder scrolls related until they fix what they already have. So sick of having to restart my system because of freezing. No other game in my collection does this. Shotty. Garbage. Waste of life. Screw you Bethesda. Glad you spent time creating a freaking cross bow. can't use it though because your game sucks.

I found his view quite balanced and interesting, tbh, and I've gone back to a semi-neutral stance on the whole thing. Really need to see the game in action before judging it too harshly, although I don't like some of the design choices so far.

I"ll pass on this as well, to me how much money will they sink into this that could have gone, hell even some of the ideas and "help" they give to the company that is going to make it.....
Compared to making thee killer next console/PC singles game, I'm sure some will get into it, but many probably not.
Cheers
Tom

I read the posts here and I'm joining the masses here and saying "don't bother." Also I must jump on Jeremy473's idea band wagon, 2 player co-op, online AND system link and you'll have a permanent place in my xbox collection.

It doesnt need to be a mmo. Just leave it be. as a stand alone rpg. I dont mind exploring and doing missions alone. Its going to fall on its face. leave the mmo bs to wow. This is just a attempt to suckle fans of the series into a never end money pit mmo. If they added a co op in the normal game that would be enough for me. That way im playing with one friend and our fun doesnt revolve around other people being stupid.

Seriously, these companies need to stop making MMOs for every single successful RPG franchise. Just because a single player RPG has millions of fans, it doesn't meant they want to share that world with millions of players online.

These games are perfect single-player experiences. I'd rather wait patiently for The Elder Scrolls VI instead.

This can't have a bad side too it. Bethesda isn't making it, and it's 1000 years before the first (I think) ES game, so it has absolutely ZERO impact on the games Bethesda is making. Chill the **** out guys, this will either be great and we'll all be happy, or it'll suck and we'll all ignore it.

I must say, the trailer and the screenshots I viewed here at GameSpot were, well, underwhelmng. Nothing about it stood out to me as "Wow! This has potential!" Now, it's very limited information, certainly, but it's not a positive direction.

I am not concerned about The Elder Scrolls migrating to multiplayer. This MMO is developed by ZeniMax Online Studios whereas Bethesda Softworks continue to focus on SP titles. I think the typical timefrane for releases of this franchise won't change (only Fallout will most likely have an effect to this).

first i was very excited about this game but...... after seeing the picture they release today i was not...... this game gonna change im sure about it , it not gonna be about blocking and attacking is gonna be about do *&?%$ spell like in the worst game ever (WOW) but that my first impresion of coure hope they are not gonna change it

I just looked at the image gallery for ESO, and those were some of the most generic MMO screenshots I have seen in a while. They could have been pulled from any number of free to play MMOs. This project has "fail" written all over it.